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Raised by his single mother, Ada, in the Bronx, Vazquez is an alumnus of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. He was also involved in the CityKids Repertory Company in New York City, which enabled him to travel the country and perform in front of the President and at major charitable functions and shelters. In 2005, he was reunited with his estranged father, Mario Rivera, who discovered that his son was on American Idol while channel surfing.[2] After making it into the final round of twelve contestants on the hit reality show American Idol, Vazquez suddenly dropped out of the competition citing "personal family thing" a few days before the finals started.[3] When the press contacted his mother regarding his decision, she was unaware why he had left the show.[3] There was much speculation about his decision; Vazquez appeared the next morning on "Good Day New York" on WNYWFOX5, and quashed rumors of a feud with "American Idol" producers or any of his competitors.[4] "American Idol was only positive. They were only wonderful to me, from the beginning through the middle, to the end," he told the show. "It had nothing to do with the contract or anything signed with J Records." J Records is the same company that manages Idol winners Ruben Studdard and Fantasia Barrino. Vazquez later said that he wanted more artistic control and creating his own sound,[5] and he felt that he would be more restricted staying on the show.[6] He felt that since he was now known worldwide as a semi-finalist, he could end the competition and go solo. He believed that his musical success would not make a difference whether he quit as a semi-finalist or participated in the finals round. Vazquez was replaced on the show by Nikko Smith, who had previously been voted out.

After leaving J Records in 2008, he worked with a few dance DJs, appearing on collaborations with Hype Jones and Ted Nilsson in 2012.[11]

In 2012, he signed with ELEVEN 34 Records, and began work on his second studio album. His new lead single, "One Shot" (a different song than the one that appeared on his debut) was released to radio in April 2013.[12]

In 2007, Magdaleno Olmos, an employee of Fremantle Media which produces American Idol, filed a lawsuit against Fremantle Media, Fox Entertainment, and Mario Vazquez claiming wrongful termination.[13] The lawsuit alleged that Vazquez sexually harassed Olmos by performing a lewd act in front of him and offered sexual favors.[14] Olmos claimed that he tried to report the incident to a superior but was threatened with dismissal, and he was "terminated" a few months after the incident. Olmos' lawyer also suggested that Idol producers had forced Vasquez out over the complaint, and claimed that Nigel Lythgoe, the show producer, had said to Olmos, "we know that this happened and we are going to let Mario Vazquez go, and you’re going to stay."[15]

Vazquez was reported to be "very upset, almost distraught" over the claim and that he didn't even remember Magdaleno Olmos.[16] He had previously denied that he is gay and that he quit the show for "artistic reasons".[5] The judge later ruled that Olmos had signed an agreement to "arbitrate all disputes and not file a lawsuit," and sent the case to arbitration and put a hold on the lawsuit.[17]